by
Jamaica Kincaid

ANTHOLOGY

1998

HARD COVER

329 PAGES

An anthology of essays on plants and gardening from contemporary authors as well as luminaries of the past. This handsome, little book features selections by (among many others) D.H. Lawrence and William Carlos Williams. (GEN126, $20.00)

by
James Ferguson

HISTORY

2008

PAPER

320 PAGES

A concise history of the Caribbean Islands, beginning with a description of their formation and geologic attributes, carrying through to the first civilizations in the region, and ending with the modern tourism boom. (CRB42, $14.95)

by
Sarah Cameron |
Insight Guides

GUIDEBOOK

2011

PAPER

368 PAGES

This handsome guide gives a profusely illustrated over-view of the region, featuring essays on natural history, politics and culture, hundreds of photos and maps, as well as useful travel notes. (CRB02, $24.99)

by
Ann Vanderhoof

FOOD

2010

PAPER

448 PAGES

Vanderhoof (An Embarrassment of Mangoes) is back aboard her sailboat in the Caribbean in these latest encounters with the characters and cuisine of the islands. She pairs lively accounts with 71 recipes she learned along the way. (CRB260, $14.95)

by
Jan Rogozinski

HISTORY

2000

PAPER

324 PAGES

Written for a scholarly audience, this concise history presents the full sweep of Caribbean geography, culture and commerce from aboriginal inhabitants through European colonization and modern developments. (CRB38, $20.00)

by
Mark Kurlansky

CULTURAL PORTRAIT

1992

PAPER

324 PAGES

A wonderfully observed social history of the Caribbean by a far-ranging journalist and favorite author. Kurlansky has a knack for honing in on the small details that make the Caribbean culturally unique, offering frank insight on music, religion, healthcare and the influence of the United States. (CRB12, $17.95)

by
Jamaica Kincaid

CULTURAL PORTRAIT

2000

PAPER

81 PAGES

FAVORITE

Antigua-born Kincaid meditates on the politics, history and culture of the islands in these remarkable short essays. A useful antidote to the usual fun-in-the-sun approach of the local tourist office, the book shines a light on the poverty, corruption and startling beauty of the Caribbean. (CRB03, $13.00)

by
Matthew Parker

HISTORY

2012

PAPER

384 PAGES

Parker interweaves the histories of the Caribbean, the Industrial Revolution and the British Empire with the human stories of visitors and slaves, overseers and soldiers and families whose fortunes rose and fell on the sugar of the West Indies. (CRB277, $20.00)

by
Nancy Rubin

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR

2004

PAPER

484 PAGES

A sweeping history of the dramatic life of heiress, business tycoon (she ran C.W. Post after her father's suicide), socialite and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973), a fixture in social circles of the 1920s and 30s, whose husband E.F. Hutton gave her the yacht Sea Cloud. (USA427, $29.95)

by
V.S. Naipaul

TRAVEL NARRATIVE

2002

PAPER

232 PAGES

Novelist and travel writer Naipaul tackles the history of the Caribbean and northern South America in this incisive portrait. With chapters on Trinidad, British Guiana (Guyana), Suriname, Martinique and Jamaica. (CRB11, $16.00)

by
Jamaica Kincaid

LITERATURE

2000

PAPER

82 PAGES

Ten short stories capturing the essence of Jamaica Kincaid's childhood in Antigua. Originally published in the New Yorker, the collection evokes the rhythms of work and play in the Caribbean. (CRB19, $13.00)

by
Bob Shacochis

LITERATURE

2004

PAPER

214 PAGES

A collection of short stories and one of the most evocative depictions of daily life on the islands. Shacochis's characters, from islanders to interlopers, ring true. His writing is a graceful tribute to the music, politics and cultural quirks of the Caribbean. (CRB78, $13.00)

by
Jean Rhys

LITERATURE

1982

PAPER

189 PAGES

This classic novel by Dominican-born Jean Rhys, steamy both in its lush, tropical setting and in its plot, imagines the encounter between Edward Rochester and his mad wife -- a riveting prequel to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. (CRB21, $13.95)

by
Michael Weishan

NATURAL HISTORY

2006

HARD COVER

295 PAGES

The companion to a popular PBS series, written by the show's host and veteran gardening writer Michael Weishan, this handy guide is full of straightforward and fun tips for both novices and experienced gardeners. (GEN387, $29.95)

by
Michael Bright

NATURAL HISTORY

2007

PAPER

224 PAGES

Nicely illustrated, this companion book to the BBC series on the natural history of the Caribbean includes an overview of the plants, animals and underwater life of the islands from Cuba to Trinidad and Tobago. (CRB206, $25.00)

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